Faculty/Author Profile

Barbara J. Hart

Lowey Dannenberg, PC

White Plains, NY, USA

Ms. Hart is President and CEO of Lowey Dannenberg, P.C. She represents businesses, institutional investors, and others who have suffered financial harm in complex securities and antitrust litigation. Lowey Dannenberg serves as Co-Lead Counsel in In re: London Silver Fixing Ltd., Antitrust Litigation (Docket No. 1:14-md-02573), which is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit alleges that some of the world’s largest financial institutions colluded to manipulate the price of silver. Lowey serves on the Steering Committee of the In re Packaged SeafoodAntitrust Litigation prosecuting claims for Direct Purchasers where parallel criminal proceedings have gained guilty pleas and leniency applications from the largest Tuna producers. In 2015, Ms. Hart settled on behalf of Relator a Medicaid whistleblower action involving false Medicaid billing recovering $22.4 million; the largest single New York fraud recovery to date. In 2014, Ms. Hart tried a limited partnership dispute and after multiple days of testimony and argument, Ms. Hart won a multi-million dollar award on behalf of minority partner. With enforcement of that verdict, Ms. Hart’s client recovered 100% of damages with statutory interest. In 2013, Ms. Hart, as Lead Counsel, won Judge Colleen McMahon’s approval of a $219 million settlement of Madoff feeder-fund litigation. Ms. Hart represented unions throughout upstate who had lost their pensions in the Madoff Ponzi scheme. Judge McMahon commended her on the “unprecedented global settlement” and recognized that Ms. Hart “carried the laboring oar.” Judge McMahon’s praise continued: “Your clients - all of them - have been well served . . . rarely has there been a more transparent settlement negotiation. It could serve as a prototype.”

Ms. Hart represented the NYC public union pension funds serving as Lead Counsel in the In re Juniper Networks Securities Litigation (N.D. Cal.) involving allegations of massive options backdating. On August 30, 2010, in approving the $169,000,000 settlement, the Hon. James Ware deemed it an "excellent result." The recovery was the third largest of any of the dozens of litigations involving options backdating. Ms. Hart served as Lead Counsel representing the Office of the Treasurer of the State of Connecticut in the In re Waste Management Securities Litigation, which settled for $457 million; then the third-largest securities class action settlement. Ms. Hart served as Co-Lead Counsel in the In re Air Cargo Antitrust Litigation (E.D.N.Y) one of the largest collusion cases in history involving most of the world’s major airlines. Ms. Hart was Co-Lead Counsel in the In re El Paso Corporation Securities Litigation, garnering a $285 million settlement. A few of her notable antitrust settlements include: In re Stock Exchange Options Trading Antitrust Litigation ($47 million settlement); In re Brand Name Drug Litigation ($65 million settlement); In re Augmentin Antitrust Litigation ($29 million settlement); In re Paxil Antitrust Litigation ($65 million settlement); In re Sodium Erythorbate and Maltol Antitrust Litigation ($18.45 million settlement); In re Synthroid Marketing and Antitrust Litigation ($87.4 million settlement); and In re Warfarin Sodium Antitrust Litigation ($44.5 million settlement). On behalf of her clients Ms. Hart pushed for reform to both New York’s Martin and Donnelly Acts. Ultimately, her efforts led to an amendment making New York; an “Illinois Brick” repealer state granting standing to injured New Yorkers. This precipitated similar amendments in other states followed. Ms. Hart co-edited the New York Antitrust and Consumer Protection Law handbook. Ms. Hart has successfully represented New York institutional clients as amici curiae on various matters, including on New York’s Martin Act.